La Sportiva Synthesis Wins Editors’ Choice Award from Backpacker

La Sportiva has been honored with a 2015 Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award for the Synthesis, a lightweight mid-height hiking shoe that uses Gore-Tex’s new Surround technology. Presented annually to the best products in their class, the awards are the premier editorial awards for outdoor products.

“The Synthesis is an incredible shoe enabled by Gore-Tex’s new Surround technology that provides true waterproof breathability around the entire foot,” says Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America. “This new line of shoes, including three models for both men and women, opens up a new world for us in terms of versatile hiking footwear. We believe that customers will love these shoes and we’re delighted that the editors at Backpacker agree enough to present the Synthesis with their prestigious Editors’ Choice award.”

Since its inception, the Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards have come to be regarded as one of the most sought-after awards for outdoor equipment and apparel in the industry. All winners excel under extensive field-testing conducted by Backpacker’s team of editors, who take hundreds of products into the backcountry to put them to the test. This extensive process ensures that the performance of the winners of real value to the readers of Backpacker magazine, who are active, long-term outdoor enthusiasts.

The La Sportiva Synthesis GTX features innovative Nano-Cell™ technology in the upper that wraps the foot while allowing maximum breathability and waterproof protection. STB™ Technology stabilizes the foot by wrapping the midsole and unifying it with the upper for a perfect locked-down fit. The Gore-Tex Surround technology allows 360 degrees of breathability by placing an air permeable spacer under the foot that exhausts moisture out the sides with each stride taken. The Synthesis GTX retails for $180.

Backpacker editors Dennis Lewon and Kristin Hostetter formally presented the awards to the La Sportiva team during the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City in January. The complete list of Backpacker’s 2015 Editors’ Choice Award winners will be officially announced in the magazine’s April Gear Guide issue, on newsstands March 10th.